The New Jersey Department of Children and Families has launched a statewide, innovative hub-and-spoke model of services and resources to support youth mental wellness. The new model, the NJ Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) network, creates 15 regional hubs that provide prevention and brief intervention services to New Jersey public school students, parents/caretakers, and school faculty.

The hubs, staffed by a director, support staff, prevention specialists, and licensed clinicians, will be mobilized to deliver services locally, when and where they are needed, both in school and community settings. Most importantly the hub staff will have the ability to connect students and their parents/caregivers with other community resources beneficial to social, emotional, and mental health and well-being, including clinical and non-clinical resources.

COMPASS (Creating Ocean Monmouth Prevention And Supports for Students) is a local program serving Ocean and Monmouth Counties under the umbrella of New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S).  Programs support public and charter school students and caregivers in Monmouth and Ocean Counties at no cost. NJ4S does not duplicate or replace existing programs and services already being operated in schools or by other organizations. Tiered levels of services are available, but a referral from school personnel is required to access Tier 2 and 3 services.

• ALL SERVICES ARE FREE TO SCHOOLS
• TIERED LEVELS OF SERVICES AVAILABLE
• VIRTUAL & IN-PERSOAN PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

NJ4S is a prevention program and is not designed to address severe mental health concerns or crisis situations. For more serious concerns, consult the resources listed here. 

How Do I Access NJ4S Services?

NJ4S includes three levels of service. Tier 1 services are universal supports, open to all New Jersey students, their parents/caregivers, and school faculty. 

Available Tier 1 services are listed here.

Tier 2 prevention services and Tier 3 brief intervention services are available to middle and high school students, their parents/caregivers, and their school faculty in NJ4S participating schools. An application must be submitted by the school’s designated NJ4S representative to be considered for these services.  Once the application is submitted, NJ4S staff from the assigned Hub will meet with the school representative regarding the application and determine whether NJ4S services or a referral to a community resource can be provided.  

Eligibility

Tier 1 services are universal supports, open to all New Jersey students, their parents/caregivers, and school faculty. Tier 2 prevention services and Tier 3 brief intervention services are available to middle and high school students, their parents/caregivers, and their school faculty in NJ4S participating schools.

Last Updated: 11/03/23